


Things Remembered

by MarzgaPerez



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Backstory, Birthday Cake, F/M, Family Secrets, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Nostalgia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-03-27 01:10:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13869891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarzgaPerez/pseuds/MarzgaPerez
Summary: AU Everlark where Katniss and Peeta cross paths after nearly a decade. A kind gesture from the past leads to possibilities for the future.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a good thing she’d looked at the cake before heading home. Katniss approached the bakery counter, box in hand, and addressed the young man who was waiting there with a pleasant smile.

“Is there a manager here?”

“I’m the head baker. Can I help you with something?”

Katniss paused, studying his face for a moment, and then she placed the box between them. “Well, this is supposed to say _Happy Birthday, Gale_. But it’s misspelled.”

He carefully lifted the top of the box. “Let me take a look.”

“It’s G-A-L-E, not G-A-I-L. I spelled it over the phone and everything.”

“I see. No problem. I’ll personally correct this for you and can even add a design if you’d like.”

“Thanks, but just the name will be fine.”

“I’ll be right back, Miss...?”

“It’s, uh...Katniss.”

“Katniss? Another name you don’t hear everyday. I went to school with a Katniss.”

“I was going to say...you actually look really familiar.”

“So do you. I’m Peeta. Peeta Mellark.”

Yes, of course. Peeta from homeroom. That smile. Those eyes, the way they danced with the light. She hadn’t known him very well, but they’d spoken a few times back in high school. He always ran with a different crowd, the wealthier kids.

“Right. Peeta. I remember you now.”

“We had a few classes together, I think. Give me just a minute to fix your cake.”

“Thanks.”

Katniss stepped over towards the glass case filled with muffins and scones and other baked goods, trying to ignore the growling in her stomach. She’d skipped breakfast that morning. As a distraction, Katniss pulled her phone out. No texts from Gale or Prim or her mother. She wondered if they would remember Peeta.

He was the baker’s boy. As a matter of fact, his parents had owned a bakery on the other side of town. So why was he working at this place?

“All fixed. Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

“So, Katniss. I take it you didn’t stick around here after you graduated?”

“No. I went out of state for college and found a job close to where I went to school. I’m a teacher, so I have the summers off. I’m staying with my mom and helping my sister Prim plan her wedding.”

“Keep me in mind if you need a wedding cake. And give your mom my best. I haven’t seen her in awhile.”

“I will. Thanks. What about your folks? And your brothers?”

“They’re around. We don’t speak much though.”

”That’s too bad.”

“People change. Even family.” Peeta seemed ready to change the subject. “Hey, just curious. Is this cake for the same Gale who graduated a few years before us?”

“The same.”

“And he’s your...”

“Friend. Gale’s my friend. Why?”

“I remember seeing the two of you together a lot.” Peeta shrugged and then reached into the bakery case with a piece of parchment paper. “Listen, for your trouble today, here’s a blueberry muffin. On the house.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice you salivating over my baked goods.”

“Yeah...I guess I was.” Katniss laughed to herself on the way out. What a lame come-on. And yet, he was still as charming as she remembered...and perceptive too. How did he know she was hungry?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Katniss carried a cup of tea over to her mother and sat down next to her. "So...mom. I saw a friend of yours today at the bakery. Peeta. He sends his regards.”

“Peeta? Oh, yes. The Mellark boy. I’ve always liked him. So polite. Haven’t made it to his family’s bakery in a while, but he’s very talented.”

“This was at the grocery store. Peeta said he doesn’t have much contact with his folks. I’m guessing he’s no longer involved in the family business.”

“Hmmm...well, I think he’s still single.”

“Oh, mother.”

“Best I can remember.”

“Who knows? Maybe he prefers men.”

Katniss was somewhat convinced that he had been flirting with her that morning. Or maybe he was just being friendly. She was horrible at reading signals. All those months she had spent pining over her co-worker, Finnick Odair, only to find out that he was in love with the mousy school librarian.

“You can always ask him.”

“Thank you, mother, but I’m home so I can be with you and Prim. Meeting someone is the last thing on my mind.”

“Then there’s no problem. You already know him.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Are you almost ready?”

Katniss had finished setting the snacks out for Gale’s party and went to find her sister. Prim was carefully applying her lipstick in anticipation of seeing her fiancé Rory, also known as Gale’s younger brother.

“Yes. Just want to look my best.” Prim turned off the bathroom light and followed Katniss back into the kitchen. “So....do you think Gale will be surprised?”

“I don’t know. I think he’ll be appreciative. The others should be here soon.”

“Did you invite Mom?”

“I did, but she wanted to rest. You know, she thinks I should go out with Peeta Mellark." Katniss looked over at his sister, curious if she remembered Peeta. "Have you seen him around lately? I can’t believe he never got out.”

“Are you saying there’s something wrong with staying in this town?”

“You know what I mean. You’re probably too young to remember, but he painted all of those murals in the cafeteria. He’s very talented.”

Prim nodded. “I think he was supposed to take over the family bakery, but he and his older brother got into a dispute.”

“And he’s not married or seeing anyone?”

“I don’t know, but you seem pretty interested.” Prim raised an eyebrow at her sister. “Maybe you should ask him out...”

Katniss rolled her eyes. “And maybe you should help me with these decorations.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Gale was excited about the unexpected hoopla over his 29th birthday. “Very clever, Catnip, surprising me this year. I might have suspected it for the big 3-0 but not this one.”

”It’s your last year of being twenty-something. Had to go big.” 

“And I’m digging this cake. You really out-did yourself. Have some.”

“I didn’t bake it, you know. But I’m glad you like it.”

Katniss accepted a plate from Hazelle and stabbed at the corner of her piece, making sure that the icing to cake ratio was equally distributed before putting the morsel into her mouth. Gale was right. The cake was perfection.

All of a sudden, Katniss found herself reliving an experience from nearly ten years ago. It was her sixteenth birthday. Her father had passed away a few months before, and her mother had been out of work for weeks, sleeping more than taking care of her daughters. There was very little money for food, let alone funds to spare for a birthday party for Katniss. Not that she minded, but still, turning sixteen was a milestone for a lot of girls her age.

The doorbell rang, and Katniss and Prim had both run to the front door, hoping for a visit from a kind neighbor bearing a casserole. Even better though, someone had delivered a cake to their doorstep. It was decorated with tiny pink flowers and delicate cursive icing that read  _Happy 16th Katniss_.

There was no stopping Prim from rushing the cake into the kitchen and adorning it with sixteen candles plus one to grow on. She proceeded to belt out a cheerful rendition of _Happy Birthday_ , and then cut generous slices for each of them. Even Mrs. Everdeen emerged from her room to see what all the fuss was about.

Katniss remembered how the cake practically melted in her mouth. It was perfection, made even more so because of the kind gesture. Her mother and Prim swore up and down that they’d had nothing to do with the surprise cake. So now, after all these years, she finally had a lead about who may have responsible. The question was...why?


	2. Chapter 2

After she was certain that everyone else was asleep, Katniss tiptoed downstairs to the family room. She scanned the large oak bookshelf her father had built, searching for her high school yearbooks. She spotted them behind the framed family photos and various trinkets her mother had kept, and pulled them out.

Katniss thumbed through each one, first inspecting the individual headshots from her class over the years. Oh, the horrors of seeing her awkward teenage self.

When she got to the “M” section and found Peeta’s picture, she noticed how distinguished he looked, particularly in his senior class photo with the spiffy black bow tie he had opted for.

Katniss came upon a few photographs of Peeta working the tables at various bake sales, raising money for Spanish Club or student government or the soccer team. She remembered him being voted “Mr. Congenial” their senior year, whereas she had stayed out of sight - and out of mind - save for her prowess on the archery team. If you could call it a team since it was only Katniss and another girl named Glimmer, who was mostly interested in padding her college applications.

Flipping to the last couple pages where friends and acquaintances had signed her yearbooks, Katniss looked for anything that Peeta had written. There was nothing in her freshman yearbook, but she found a thoughtful note from him in her sophomore yearbook, the year her father died.

_Katniss, I’m so sorry about your father passing. I know things haven’t been easy lately, but you always find a way to overcome hard times. Keeping you in my thoughts, Peeta_

Katniss wondered what she had thought about his message at the time. Maybe nothing. She was probably too numb to care.

And now, fast forward ten years. What was she hoping to find anyway? Some hint about the cake? Some encoded message from the past?

Katniss was so engrossed in her thoughts, she didn’t hear her sister coming down the stairs, nor was she prepared when Prim said her name. “Kat-”

“Holy Mother!” Katniss turned around from her seated position on the carpet. “What are you doing up?”

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you. I wanted a glass of milk.” Prim paused at the foot of the stairs. “Why are you looking at old yearbooks?”

“Oh...I, um, was feeling nostalgic.”

Joining her on the carpet, Prim picked up one of the books and waved it in front of Katniss. “Uh-huh. Does this have to do with a certain Mellark?”

“Maybe.” Katniss hoped her sister wouldn’t read too much into things. “Do you remember my sixteenth birthday?”

“Not really.” Prim scrunched her forehead, trying to recall that time. “Did we do something special?”

Katniss shook her head. “Daddy had just died. But remember the cake that showed up mysteriously at our door?”

A wide smile spread across Prim’s face as if she was reliving that moment. “Oh, right!”

“Well...I think Peeta sent it.” Katniss sounded quite convinced, but Prim was immediately skeptical.

“Peeta? I always figured Mom did it. Or Gale. Why Peeta?”

“I just have this feeling. And I’m fairly certain the cake came from his family’s bakery.”

“If that’s the case, anyone could have sent it.”

“I guess so.”

“Hmmm…” Prim shrugged her shoulders. “You could always just ask Peeta and clear this up real quick.”

“Or...you could go talk to him about ordering a wedding cake and casually mention it.”

“Don’t involve me in any of your scheming.” Prim laughed and reached over to tug on her sister’s braid. “Act like an adult, and talk to him yourself.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It was around 10am on Saturday morning, and Katniss was just waking up, her thoughts returning to the night before. Prim was right, as usual. Katniss would be better off asking Peeta directly about the cake, and then she could thank him and move on with her life. Or if he wasn’t the person who had sent it, she was certain he would be gracious about her mistake.

She could hear her sister and mother in the kitchen chattering about wedding details while washing dishes. There was a faint smell of bacon in the air, and Katniss was hopeful they’d put a few pieces aside for her.

Her mind was still busy trying to recall if she’d ever had any meaningful exchanges with Peeta in school, any stolen glances in the hallway, any chance encounters around town. She racked her brain and came up with nothing. Then it occurred to her to dig out the storage box of mementos from her high school days stashed away under her bed.

It was a tough decision as her stomach was growling, even more so with the knowledge that crispy bacon was probably awaiting her in the kitchen. But she needed to satiate her curiosity.

She pulled out the box and began sifting through graduation cards and random scraps of paper, including pictures from the student newspaper about the archery team and a few articles written by her friend Madge.

Underneath a random pom pom she must have saved from a pep rally, Katniss came upon a photo from her senior prom.

In the faded picture, she was standing in front of a starry night photo backdrop, smiling like a complete moron with her hands draped over Gale’s shoulders, per the direction of the over-the-top photographer.

Gale had been kind enough to be her date, even renting a tux and buying her a corsage to compliment her simple black dress.

Katniss didn’t want to go to her senior prom, but her mother had insisted. _You’ll regret it one day if you don’t go._

But what would she have missed out on? The music? The dancing? The other idiots all made up and gushing over each other’s dresses, hair, make-up, and shoes? And then there was Gale, self-sacrificing as he was, blathering on for most of the evening about which chicks he’d like to bang, checking with Katniss frequently to see if they were “legal” yet.

She remembered standing in the corner, grateful for a moment to herself, while Gale went to get them something to drink. But then he was gone for longer than she was expecting, and she was about to go and find him and suggest they leave when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hi, Katniss. Ready for graduation?” It was Peeta Mellark, looking rather dapper in his tux and slick-backed hair. He stuffed his hands nervously into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels.

“I guess so.” Katniss was surprised that he was making chit-chat with her, already feeling the eyes of his crowd gawking with curiosity in their direction, especially his friend Delly. “How about you? Ready to get out of this town?”

Peeta paused, a wave of uncertainty passing over his face. “I’ve deferred a year to help my folks with the bakery. You know about our place, right?”

Katniss pondered his question. “Can’t say that I do, but everyone raves about it.” She began to scan the refreshments table in search of Gale, not that she minded talking with Peeta, but she found it odd that he had approached her. Maybe he was feeling sorry for her?

“I’m sure you’ve tried our cake before.”

“Maybe.” Katniss shrugged her shoulders, still wondering why Peeta, a boy who had rarely spoken with her, was still standing by her side, making small talk.

“Anyway, Katniss. I wanted to ask you if –”

“Mellark!” Gale had walked up behind them with a cup of punch in each hand, passing one to Katniss. “How’s it going? You know, I see your brothers all the time on campus. Poor Rye though. He’ll have to repeat this semester.” Gale took a swig from his cup before continuing. “But Flaxx seems to have his shit together. Guess you’ll be following in their footsteps soon? Big man on campus?” He grabbed Peeta’s shoulder as some of the bright red punch sloshed out of the cup, just missing Peeta’s white dress shirt.

“Oh, um...” Peeta seemed caught off guard by Gale’s presence. “Yeah, uh...eventually...maybe after one of my brothers graduate.”

Katniss smiled warmly towards Peeta, trying to spare him any more of Gale’s questions. “Peeta’s needed here for a little while to help his folks out.” She was pretty sure Gale was drunk, and he could start to make a nuisance of himself once he got going. Not that she blamed him – this high school scene was a drag and would have been more bearable with some alcohol. “Anyway…I think we’ve had enough fun. Give me the keys, Gale. I better get you home.”

“Oh.” Peeta seemed to be putting two and two together. “He’s your date?”

“That’s right. Prettiest girl here. Eat your heart out, Mellark.” Gale laughed as Katniss pulled him in the direction of the exit.

She looked apologetically towards Peeta. “Enjoy the rest of prom. And good luck with the bakery. I’ll see you around.”

“Thanks…and good luck with…everything...”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It had gone something like that, though Katniss was fuzzy on the details. Maybe she was remembering things differently from the way they had happened. Maybe she had merely exchanged polite greetings with Peeta, but there was something about the way he had lingered by her side, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t.

In any event, here she was, sitting in her car in front of the grocery store, unsure if she should go inside and approach him with her question, unsure if he was even there. If not, she’d pick up a muffin or two and ask when he was scheduled to work.

As she walked into the nearly-empty store, Katniss was glad she had picked a quieter time of day to visit, probably when most people were having dinner.

From a few feet away, the bakery area seemed abandoned, but as she got closer, Katniss spotted movement towards the back. Someone was sweeping the floor, and that someone was Peeta.

A lump formed in her throat. She could turn around and leave, and he’d never know the difference, or she could get this out of the way.

“Still open?”

“Be right with you.” He didn’t turn to greet her but finished sweeping and washed his hands at the sink. Her stomach was doing flip flops with every extra second it was taking him to arrive at the counter.

As he approached her, a flicker of recognition passed over his face. “Oh. Hi! How did you like the cake?”

“The…cake?” She gave him a strange look and fumbled nervously with the strap of her purse.

“For Gale? With the correct spelling.”

“Right. The cake.” Katniss forced a smile to mask how awkward she was feeling. “It was delicious. As a matter of fact…um…the cake, well…it, uh…how do I say this?”

Peeta seemed amused by the fact that she had something on her mind but was having trouble saying it. “If it was bad, you can tell me. They let me use my own recipe here, and some people prefer the cakes with a more traditional store-bought taste. I don’t know why, but –”

“I need to ask you a question.” She couldn’t wait any longer. It was now or never.

“Okay.”

“Did you deliver a cake to my house for my sixteenth birthday? Because the cake I had yesterday tasted just like the cake that arrived on my doorstep, like ten years ago.”

Katniss wanted to sink into the floor, but she somehow managed to keep her eyes on Peeta, anxiously awaiting his reply, watching his expression morph from concern to confusion to sudden recognition of the time she was referring to.

“Well…to tell you the truth…”

“I would prefer the truth…”

“Yes, I did. I made that cake for you.” He relaxed his shoulders, happy to be unburdened of a secret from the past, or maybe relieved that she had recognized his gesture after all these years. Unless, of course, she was unhappy about it. “Why? Did it upset you…when I left the cake?”

Katniss was speechless. She couldn’t believe that someone she barely knew had taken the time to show her such kindness, especially in the midst of her mother’s breakdown and the financial stress that her family was under.

“No. It didn’t upset me.” Katniss found herself overcome with emotion. She gripped the edge of the counter to steady herself as she had not planned to fall apart, but talking about that time and remembering the loss of her father took her back to those days of despair and worry. It would seem silly to Peeta that the cake he’d delivered to her doorstep had given Katniss a renewed sense of hope during a dark time.   

She felt the soft grip of his hand upon on hers and barely managed a whisper. “Why...did you?”

He took a deep breath and leaned in to answer her. “I was honored to make it for you, but it was actually my father’s idea.”

“Your father?" Katniss furrowed her brow. "What reason did he have?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.”

Now she really wanted to get to bottom of this. “Do you think he’s at the bakery right now?”

Peeta moved his hand from hers. “No, he’s not.”

“Where I can I find him?”

“You can’t.” He shook his head. “But I can go with you to see him. Tomorrow would be better. Can you meet me at the coffee place near Route 40. 9am?”

“Um, okay. If you’re sure…”

“Of course. If you want to talk to him…”

“I do.” Katniss pulled her hands back to her side. “That cake meant the world to me. It meant that someone saw me, someone cared. I want to thank your father in person…and you, Peeta. Thanks.”

He nodded humbly and started to back up towards the work area. “I was happy to do it. And I’ll see you in the morning. If you change your mind…”

“I won’t. See you then.”


	3. Chapter 3

Unless it was required of her, Katniss was not an early riser. She figured it would raise suspicion from Prim to find her already showered, dressed, and eating breakfast at 8am.

“Whoa!” Prim stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. “And to what do we owe the occasion?”

“Ha, ha.” Katniss was already armed with her excuse. “I heard Mom moving around before her errands, and I decided to get up.”

Prim took a seat at the table next to Katniss. “She was going to check on a few things for me with this florist this morning.”

“Are you getting nervous about the big day?”

“No, not at all. Between you and mom and Hazelle, I think we’ve got everything covered.”

Katniss smiled at her little sister’s self-assuredness. She must have gotten it from their father. He’d be so proud of what a confident young woman she’d become, and happy about her pending nuptials to Rory.

Prim dug her hand into the cereal box on the table and pulled out a handful of crunchy flakes that she stuffed in her mouth. While chewing, she passed some information along to Katniss. “So...Gale told Rory that you weren’t returning his texts.”

“Hmmm.” Katniss flipped her phone over. “I’ll text him later today. I think he said something about going to the movies tonight.”

“Fun. It’s too bad you and Gale never...you know.”

Katniss smirked at her sister. Prim knew that was a lost cause. “I think one Everdeen is enough for Hazelle.”

“Probably.” Prim hopped up from her seat and started to make coffee, humming to herself and then pausing suddenly. Katniss knew what was coming next.

“What are you doing for the rest of the day?”

Trying to seem nonchalant, Katniss nervously ran her hand along her braid. “Well...not too much. I might go out exploring a bit.”

“Really? Like where?”

"I don’t know, someone mentioned a coffee shop off of 40. Heard of it?”

Prim thought for a minute. “I think so. It’s definitely not a Starbucks.”

“Do you know the name of the place?”

“Tick Tock…maybe. Something kinda off-beat.” Prim started to return her coffee mug to the shelf in the cabinet. “Want some company?”

“No, I’m good.” Katniss stood up, abruptly ending the conversation. She carried her empty cereal bowl over to the sink.

Prim eyed her sister suspiciously as she pulled her mug back out. “You know, if I didn’t know any better…”

“You don’t.”

"Well...all I can say is...poor Gale. I think he has the hots for you.”

Katniss groaned. “Would you stop with the desperate attempts to set me up with someone? I’m fine by myself.” Even Katniss knew she didn’t sound entirely convinced.

“Fine, fine.” Prim waved her hands in the air. “You know what’s best. Enjoy your _alone_ time.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ordinarily, Katniss would have spent the day in raggedy sweats, but she decided to put on some decent-fitting jeans and a t-shirt. It was one of her favorites. The parents from her most recent class had created a design with the handprints of all of her students covering the back.

She was sitting in the parking lot of the coffee shop that was indeed called “Tick Tock,” wondering if she should go inside to look for Peeta and thinking about what secrets he was planning to reveal. A loud knock against her window brought her back to reality.

“Shit!” Katniss pulled her hand to her chest and turned to meet Peeta’s eyes through the glass.

His expression was somewhere between guilty and amused as he called out to her. “Sorry!”

She was momentarily distracted by how handsome he was, a hint of his boyish grin present in the way he smiled at her.

Katniss realized her face was still contorted in a scowl, so she softened her expression and motioned that she was about to open her door. Peeta nodded and stepped swiftly towards the front of her car.

“Morning, Peeta. I guess I scare easily.” Katniss closed the door behind her, shaking her head in amusement. “Or maybe I just need some coffee. Does your dad work here?”

“No, but there’s time for coffee. We can drive over to see my dad afterwards.”

“Over...where?” Katniss found herself clinging to her car door. She didn’t have any reason not to trust Peeta, but she wasn’t someone who enjoyed surprises.

“C’mon. I’ll explain after we get some coffee. I promise.” He nodded towards the entrance of the coffee shop.

Katniss followed him and passed inside as he held the door open for her. She quickly scanned the interior. It had fairly standard coffee shop atmosphere with scattered tables and chairs and a few people on their laptops. There were lots of decorative clocks on the walls, which all seemed to be set at different times. "This is...quaint."

“Yeah, the owner’s a bit eccentric. Do you remember Ms. Wiress? I think she taught chemistry. She and her husband retired recently and opened this place.” Peeta paused before they reached the counter. “What can I get for you?”

"You don’t have to -”

“You can get mine next time.”

_Next time. Would there be a next time, or was he just being polite?_

“Okay. I’ll have a medium coffee with cream, please. And a pastry.”

“Anything in particular?”

Katniss peered into the display case to assess her options. “The one with the blackberries.”

“Sure thing. Can you grab us a spot?”

“Yep.” Katniss found an unoccupied table close to one of the windows, and she adjusted the blinds to let more light in. It wasn’t long before Peeta joined her.

“Here you go. Made it myself.”

Katniss took the plate that Peeta had extended to her. Her eyes went immediately to the golden brown pastry with the perfectly plump blackberries nestled in the light yellow custard center. “You made this?”

Peeta nodded as he sat down. “Delivered them early this morning.”

Taking a bite, Katniss noticed how the sweetness of the custard blended perfectly with the tartness of the blackberry. “Wow...it’s fabulous. Do you bake a lot in your spare time?”

“Yeah, I enjoy it. I sell to a couple of places. Helps pay the rent.”

“And what about other hobbies? Do you still paint?”

Peeta was in the middle of sipping his coffee but stopped suddenly, putting his cup on the table and meeting her gaze with a shocked grin. “You remember that?”

“Sure. Everyone knew how talented you were.”

“What else do you remember?”

“Hmmm. Maybe a few more things.” Katniss was amazed by what she was now able to pull from her memory, sparked by being in Peeta’s presence. “Well...I think we had Spanish together one semester. _Anaranjado_ . Orange. Your favorite color...right?” Katniss looked at him sheepishly, worried she was turning red. _Such a silly detail to remember._

“And yours was _verde_. Green.”

“That’s right!” Katniss wasn’t sure if it was out of nervousness or relief, but she laughed out loud. “Apparently, we were aware of each other’s existence, so why didn’t we speak much back then?”

“But Miss Everdeen. You were too good to talk to anyone else. Except Madge.”

“Me? I was shy.” Katniss wrapped her fingers around her coffee cup, leaning into the table. “What about you, Mr. Popular?”

“I wasn’t popular. I just tried to get along with everyone.”

Katniss knew this already. She remembered Peeta having many acquaintances and being well-liked, but he probably only had a few true friends. “You were close with Delly, right? Where is she now?”

“New York, I think. Haven't seen her in a while.”

“And you stayed here all this time...to help your family.” Katniss wondered if he would be comfortable sharing more details about his family. “But you don’t see them anymore?”

Peeta paused and rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have a lot of contact with my mom or my brothers. But my dad - I see him almost everyday.”

“That's good to hear."

"He’s, uh...he’s in a facility not too far down the road.”

“A facility?”

“A nursing home, I should say. He suffers from early onset Alzheimer’s.”

Katniss almost cringed at the news, knowing how horrible that illness could be for everyone involved. “Peeta...I’m so sorry.”

He let out a deep breath as if relieved to have someone to confide in. “I want to find somewhere better for him, or even get him home care and have him live with me. But I don’t have the money, and my mother still controls his finances - all their investments, all their savings.”

“Sounds like you’re caught in the middle.”

“That’s Rye, actually. He tries to keep the peace. If we’re picking sides, I’m with my dad.”

“I’m sorry, Peeta. I really am. I didn’t know him very well, but I always had the utmost respect for your dad. He worked hard to provide for all of you.” Katniss understood some of what Peeta was feeling, having had to juggle guilt, loss, and difficult family dynamics. There was a time when she felt like she’d lost her mother, right after her father passed away.

“Anyway, now you know. I thought we could ride over together to visit my dad, and I wanted to warn you that he isn’t likely to remember anything about the cake. Usually he recognizes me, but once in a while, he doesn’t. And it scares him. Scares me too.”

Katniss reached over and placed her hand over Peeta’s, reminiscent of how he had comforted her the day before. “I’d like to spend some time with him...see if he feels like having company. Maybe talk about old times.”

Peeta’s eyes seemed to be fixated on her hand. Just as she thought to move it away, he gave her a grateful nod. “It’s worth a try.”

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The exterior of the building was quaint enough - neat landscaping, trimmed shrubs and a smattering of brightly colored flowers surrounding the entrance. Even the lobby was more pristine than she would have imagined. But after they signed in at the front desk and started down the dark corridor with bare cement walls and echoes of some of the residents calling out or having loud conversations with themselves, Katniss knew this was not the kind of place where anyone would choose to live.

Even Peeta, who made this trek almost daily, seemed disturbed and saddened by this reality, though he still managed to offer friendly smiles to the few residents hobbling along the hallway with their walkers.

They passed a few hurried staff members wearing gray scrubs and the name of the nursing home stitched onto their pockets. _Sunset Living Center._ But was this really living?

“We’re almost there, Katniss.”

She felt inclined to squeeze Peeta's hand in order to reassure him. Instead, she kept her hands at her sides, keeping pace with him until he stopped in front of one of the doors, which was slightly ajar.

Peeta knocked and then poked his head in the room. “Dad?” I brought you something to eat.” He held up a brown paper bag that contained a special batch of pastries.

Katniss heard Peeta’s father clearing his throat. “Who is that? Rye?”

“No, it’s Peeta.”

“Oh, okay. Peeta. Come on in.”

As he stepped inside, Peeta made one more announcement. “I’ve brought a friend of mine who wants to say hello. Is that alright?”

“I suppose.” Mr. Mellark sounded surprised but perhaps curious. Peeta motioned for Katniss to enter.

As she passed through the doorway, Katniss was taken aback by the homeyness of the small room. There were curtains adorning the single window, and the walls were covered with family photos and bright paintings of different landscapes - clearly the contributions of a caring son.

“Good morning, Mr. Mellark.” Katniss walked over to the chair where he was seated with her hand extended outward. She noticed that his navy blue bathrobe was fastened neatly around his waist, and he was wearing nicely pressed cotton pajamas and dark gray bedroom slippers.

He looked up at her with the same kindness in his eyes as Peeta. She’d seen Mr. Mellark at least a handful of times over the years, but he had aged quite a bit since then and was much thinner.

“A lady friend, is it?” He shook her hand. “I would have gotten dressed up if I had known.”

“No need, sir. You look very put together.” Katniss offered him a warm smile in hopes of making him more comfortable. “It's nice to see you. I don’t know if you remember -”

“Patricia, right? Patricia Oakwood? No, it's Everdeen now, isn't it? You married that fella right after high school. Jon...Everdeen.”

Katniss glanced over at Peeta, wondering what to say next. He had prepped her to take any unusual comments from Mr. Mellark in stride, but now he seemed to be nodding that it was okay for her to correct his mistake.

“Actually, I’m her daughter. Katniss. People say I look like my mother though.” This wasn’t entirely true since Katniss favored her father, but Mr. Mellark must have detected a resemblance.

“I see.” He seemed disappointed and turned his eyes towards the window. “Yes, I think I remember now. Patty had two daughters. It’s a shame about your father passing.”

“Yes, that’s right. Thank you, sir.” Katniss had now taken a seat on the edge of Mr. Mellark’s bed so that she could be at eye level with him. “And I found out recently that you and Peeta did something wonderful for me and my family not long after my father died.”

“Oh?”

“On my sixteenth birthday. A very beautiful cake showed up at my doorstep. My mother didn’t have the money for anything so lovely, and she certainly couldn’t have baked a cake for me. She could barely get out of bed.”

Katniss felt Peeta’s presence behind her, probably also wondering if his father would remember any of this.

“I wanted to thank you for that birthday cake, sir. And I know it was a while ago, but it would mean a lot if you could tell me what led you to that random act of kindness.”

Mr. Mellark appeared to be perplexed, his brow furrowed as he tried to recall some memory that he’d filed away.

Peeta came closer to where they were seated. “Dad, it was about ten years ago. You had me decorate the cake, instead of Mom. You said she wouldn’t understand. I know we’ve made a lot of cakes over the years, but that was the one you wanted me to deliver as a surprise.”

Mr. Mellark now had a blank expression on his face, almost if he had retreated to some corner of his mind. But then he started to speak. “Katniss. Your father ordered that cake. He came in to see me about it.”

“M-my father?”

“He said you would talk about our bakery from time to time, that you always admired our window displays. Mrs. Mellark did most of those. She always had an eye for fine things. And I know what you’re thinking...why did she settle for me?” He chuckled at his own joke but then directed his attention back to Katniss, whose eyes were now filled with tears.

“Your father didn't know what size to order, so he wasn’t sure how much to put down for a deposit. I told him it was his lucky day because Mrs. Mellark was visiting her mother, and he needn’t worry about a deposit."

Katniss hadn't even realized she was trembling until she felt Peeta's steady hand gently patting her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I'm okay. Please continue, Mr. Mellark."

"I was thinking of Patty mainly. She was my first love. Broke my heart when I saw her walking around town arm-in-arm with your father, but Jon was a fine man. I couldn’t hold a grudge against someone so likable...even if he stole my best girl.”

Peeta cleared his throat. "Dad? Anything else?"

"Oh...hmmm. Well...you see, when I learned about your father passing, something told me I owed it to his memory to send you that cake. When I enlisted Peeta to help, he was more than willing. I think he stayed up the night before testing his icing skills..."

“Dad...Katniss doesn't need to know about -"

"I think my boy would have made you a birthday cake everyday if I’d have asked him to.” Mr. Mellark leaned closer to Katniss and winked.

Peeta made a huffing sound, reminiscent of a teenage boy. "Dad...please."

Katniss managed to laugh and turned to give Peeta a reassuring smile. Then she reached out to hold Mr. Mellark's hands. "I can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to me. Thank you for sharing this with me."

Mr. Mellark patted her hands. “I may not be well, but there are some things you just don't forget." With tears in his eyes, he looked over at Peeta, who was trying to keep his composure. “The love we have for our children...knows no bounds.”


End file.
